US President extends Gurpurb greetings to Sikhs

AMRITSAR: US president Barack Obama has extended best wishes to Sikhs on the occasion of 544th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. In a statement issued from the White House, Obama said, "I want to wish all our Sikh friends, across the United States and around the world, who this weekend are observing the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the first Sikh Guru. This sacred time is an occasion to reflect on Guru Nanak's timeless teachings and the principles that are at the heart of Sikhism, including the equality of all human beings, the pluralism we cherish in diverse societies and the compassion we owe one another."

"Here, in the United States, we are grateful to the many Sikh Americans who give life to these values and enrich our country every day, reminding us that these shared principles are not only at the heart of the Sikh faith, they are central to who we are as Americans," the US president said. Welcoming Obama's greetings, chairman of Sikh council on religion and education, Rajwant Singh, said in a press release: "We appreciate president Obama's gesture to greet us on this auspicious day."